Scott Waters lives in Oakland, California with his wife and son. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Scott has published previously in Cajun Mutt Press, Third Wednesday, Main Street Rag, Better Than Starbucks, The Pacific Review, A New Ulster, and many other journals. Scott’s first chapbook was published by Selcouth Station, and his poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Two brethren of canine teeth, Each about seven inches long Whittled like a fencing sword, Tricking to gag my eloquence.
The roof of my only pool room Fluttered by the flurry of phobia, Dragging my ass to cross swords, Making the meat-eater’s teeth titter.
The rainmakers in my eyes pumped The dark sea and another monster, A sea serpent in the body of water Came out vomiting fire on my head.
The Saber-toothed Tiger made a Sound in stitches rolling down to The aisle of my only pool room, And I saw my breath gone away.
In the abyss of underworld, I found Myself in a foundation garment, Engineering a zaftig ziggurat, then A white kaftan skied in and puffed the Hose of breath repulsed to my body.
Ikechukwu Obiorah is the author of the novel The Black Python Empire, a Nigerian award-winning poet, and a novelist included in the Who is Who of Emerging Writers Book Worldwide 2020/2021, and his first novel The Black Python Empire included in The Book of Books by Sweetycat Press. His poems have been published in Poetica 2019 and Poetica 2020, by Clarendon House Publications, Spillwords Press, Ponders Series, Breaking Rules Publishing, Alpha One Linden Books by Clarendon House Publications, Better Than Starbucks, Cajun Mutt Press, Active Muse Journal, Sage Cigarettes Magazine, McMaster University Press (The Muse), Re:locations – Journal of the Asia-Pacific World, University of Toronto, PCC INSCAPE, 45 Magazine Women’s Literary Journal, Bradlaugh Fingers, Ero Gospel Magazine, and others. His debut book of poetry Darkness In Crocodileville is also available on Amazon.
I envision the dissipated souls stretched across the bay, side by side, above and below to form this heavy mist. The emanating sounds bring me scenes of buoys singing in the sway, tugboats voicing arrivals, flapping wings sculpted by wind.
Hints of light conjure a purée of diamond soup being stirred gently over a pot of steam. More and more gems rise to the surface, shine with a brilliance only muted fog can enhance.
As the soup stock simmers down, brightness spreads upward toward unpeopled park hills, signaling to sounds they no longer have to bear the onus of stage props alone.
Evie Groch, Ed.D. is a Field Supervisor/Mentor for new administrators in Graduate Schools of Education. Her opinion pieces, humor, poems, short stories, recipes, word challenges, and other articles have been widely published in the New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Contra Costa Times, The Journal, Games Magazine, and many online venues. Many of her poems are in published anthologies. Her short stories, poems, and memoir pieces have won her recognition and awards. Her travelogues have been published online with Grand Circle Travel. The themes of travel, language, and immigration are special for her.
